Among the many unexpected finds the Cairo Geniza has yielded are hundreds—possibly thousands—of medieval documents of state in Arabic script, including decrees, rescripts, petitions, tax receipts and fiscal accounts from the Fatimid period.
Fatimid State Documents, Serial Recyclers and the Cairo Geniza
July 29, 2017 by
Among the many unexpected finds the Cairo Geniza has yielded are hundreds—possibly thousands—of medieval documents of state in Arabic script.
Medieval Tightrope Walking
June 11, 2017 by
Even in the Middle Ages one can find accounts of people doing death-defying stunts for our entertainment.
Getting High in the Middle Ages: Hashish in Medieval Egypt
April 19, 2017 by
In recent years, there has been a contentious debate on how should society deal with drugs like marijuana. Should it be legalized and accepted? What is the harm or benefits of these drugs? The same questions were being raised in medieval Egypt.
“Now if this is your wish, I cannot blame you” – asking for a divorce in 1204
February 26, 2017 by
All day long I have a lonely heart and am pained by our separation. I feel that pain while writing these lines. But the choice is with you; the decision is in your hand: if you wish to carry the matter through, do so; if you wish to leave things as they are, do so.
Alcohol and its Consumption in Medieval Cairo: The Story of a Habit
August 11, 2015 by
Through the ages of Cairene history the alcoholic beverages, entangled in political and religious developments, depended more on prevailing doctrinal currents than on people’s habitual or taste inclinations. Therefore, the story of these beverages’ consumption is – not surprisingly – a turbulent one.
Twelve Thousand Cooks and a Muhtasib: Some Remarks on Food Business in Medieval Cairo
August 8, 2015 by
The meals offered by street cooks were probably lacking in subtleness and elegancy if compared to the specialties served by the “caliphs’ kitchen” or by the Arabic-Islamic haute cuisine whose recipes were written down in the cookbooks for the elites
Egyptian cemetery may contain one million graves from Roman and Byzantine eras
December 22, 2014 by
The announcement of a potentially huge gravesite in Egypt has led the world’s media to make claims that a million mummies have been discovered. Now, the entire archaeological project might be in jeopardy.
Unexpected Evidence concerning Gold Mining in Early Byzantium
November 9, 2014 by
One of the consequences of the decline of Roman imperial might was the shortage of slaves at state-run mines. Consequently, criminals were often sentenced to damnatio ad metallum. The need for gold especially soared when the gold solidus was introduced at the beginning of the fourth century.
The Perils of Polygamy in 15th century Cairo
November 5, 2014 by
Under medieval Islamic law, a man could marry up to four women. However, if accounts from 15th century Egypt are indicative, it would be rare for such an arrangement to work out for all parties.
Christian Charm Discovered on 1,500-year-old Tax Receipt
September 11, 2014 by
A 1,500 year old papyrus fragment found in The University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library has been identified as one the world’s earliest surviving Christian charms.
Amending the Ascetic: Community and Character in the Old English Life of St. Mary of Egypt
August 12, 2014 by
Among the most eligible saints for such treatment, Mary of Egypt deserves particular consideration: her popularity is evidenced by over a hundred extant Greek manuscripts of her Life and her uniquely prominent position in the Lenten liturgical cycle in the Eastern Church.
Restaurants, Inns and Taverns That Never Were: Some Reflections on Public Consumption in Medieval Cairo
August 2, 2014 by
The article shows that, contrary to a commonly accepted assumption, no public consumption facilities such as restaurants, taverns or inns existed in medieval Cairo.
The Unwritten Chapter: Notes towards a Social and Religious History of Geniza Magic
July 23, 2014 by
How might the historian of religions write a social and religious history of Jewish magic in the medieval Islamicate world?
The Daily Life of Slavery and the Global Reach of Slavery in Medieval Egypt, 969-1250 CE
May 1, 2014 by
This dissertation examines the geography of the slave trade, the role of slavery in the household, and the lives of domestic slave women in the Egyptian Jewish community under the rule of the Fatimid caliphate and Ayyubid sultanate
The Red Sea and the Port of Clysma. A Possible Gate of Justinian’s Plague
March 10, 2014 by
The aim of this study is to present the sea and land commercial routes of the Byzantine Egypt and their role in the dissemination of the plague bacteria Yersinia pestis from the Red Sea to Mediterranean ports. The Mediterranean port of Pelusium was considered as the starting point of the first plague pandemic…
Drug Overdose, Disability and Male Friendship in Fifteenth-Century Mamluk Cairo
February 22, 2014 by
Shihab al-Din al-Hijazi (1388-1471) was an unexceptional legal student in Mamluk Cairo, who, at the age of 24, overdosed on marking nut, a potent plant drug valued for its memory-enhancing properties
Ibn Wāṣil: An Ayyūbid Perspective on Frankish Lordships and Crusades
January 27, 2014 by
Ibn Wāṣil (604/1208-697/1298) was a relatively prominent scholar and administrator who had close links with the political and military elites of Ayyūbid- and early Mamlūk-period Egypt and Syria throughout his career.
Environmental Effects in the Agriculture of Medieval Egypt
January 20, 2014 by
Agriculture has been the main source of the economy for all dynasties established in Egypt and the Mamluk kingdom was no exception.
Medieval Byzantine Magical Amulets and Their Tradition
November 24, 2013 by
A diverse yet distinctive group of magical amulets has periodically attracted the attention of scholars from Renaissance times to the present. The amulets take many forms, including engraved gems and cameos, enamel pendants, die-struck bronze tokens, cast or engraved pendants of gold, silver, bronze, and lead, and rings of silver and bronze.
Grain Prices in Cairo and Europe in the Middle Ages
November 14, 2013 by
How did price levels and trends in Cairo compare to those in Europe?
Synthesis of Thought and Action: Muslim-Christian Political, Military and Theological Cohesion From the Time of the First Caliphs to the Reign of the Fatimid Empire
October 19, 2013 by
Muslim-Christian theological synthesis, beginning in the Umayyad period and culminating in eleventh century Fatimid Egypt, will be explored through the particular lens of Coptic-Christian clerical and lay efforts to appropriate the Arabic cultural language as a means of religious survival and dialogue with Muslim apologists.
The Black Death in the Middle East and Europe
October 9, 2013 by
I specifically look at England and Egypt as case studies and I’m really gonna talk more about Egypt here.
Sending Home for Mom and Dad: The Extended Family Impulse in Mamluk Politics
September 21, 2013 by
Although the biological sons of sultans did inherit their father’s positions, everyone, including the dying sultan and the son himself, knew that the son was functioning as a placeholder, since real power would then be assumed by one or even multiple commanders, either covertly, in which case the nominal sultan remained as a figurehead, or overtly, in which case the nominal sultan was deposed.
Sayyida Hurra: The Isma’ili Sulayhid Queen of Yemen Farhad Daftary
September 8, 2013 by
This article explores the career of queen Sayyida Hurra, she was the political and religious leader of Sulayhid Yemen, which was an extremely rare occurrence and privilege for a woman in Fatimid times
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